Fluid drive



Jah. 16, 1951 G, E, LEVlNGs 2,538,423

FLUID DRIVE Filed Dec. 12, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i |53 I I u 'IUIy l my l| lNvENToR Georye E. Lev/nfs.

. E WWJMM ORJEYSM Jan. 16, 1951 E, LEVINGS 2,538,423

FLUID DRIVE Filed Dec. 12, 194e v 2 sheetsheet 2 Patented Jan. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLUID DRIVE George E. Levings, West Point, N. Y.

Application December 12, 1946, Serial No. 715,7 24

(ci. isz-s) 4 Claims. 1.

The invention relates to fluid drives and more particularly to an improved fluid drive coupling utilizing the principles of centrifugal force and adapted to translate mechanical energy from a power source or prime mover to a driven member or members in variable ratios and with varying degrees of flexibility. I

Objects and advantages of` theinvention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will y be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with power source or prime mover and a driven member or members; utilizing fluid in said coupling and employing a novel application of centrifugal force to said fluid power transmission.Y -By means ofthe novel features of the invention a maximum transmission of power may be effected through a fluid drive coupling without appreciable loss of energy due to turbulence,-fluid friction and other losses occurring in presently known fluid drives. The application of the principles of the invention notv only avoids such power losses, but also insures a highly eliicientv transmission of power while preserving all the normalflexible and variable speed and power ratios inherent in fluid drives and couplings.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide such iiuid drive with additional means for producing variable energy outputs by means of automatically variable factors inherent in the construction of the fluid coupling. By means of this feature of the invention, the ratio of power applied to thecoupling and delivered by the driven vfeatures. of the invention and also having capacity to act as a differential permitting Vaiuomaticapplication of different power ratios and speeds to two driven members or shafts from the sameV coupling and powered. by the same power source.

Referring now in detail to the present preferred embodiment of the invention, same is shown generally diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, and it will be understood that modifications in the mechanical and physical form thereof may be made in considerable degree without departing from the spirit and principal teachings of the invention.

As shown,the invention provides a rotatable cylindrical member or housing having solid circular end members I and 2 and cylindrical outer walls 3 and-4. Said housing provides a convenient vehicle for containing the power transmitting uid and for receiving the power to be imparted to the coupling. For this purpose the cylindrical housing .3, 4v is designed to be rotated about its major axis, for that purpose being provided with central hubs 5 and 6 projecting from the end discs I and 2 respectively. Said hubs are mounted for rotation in any suitable bearings l, said bearings being conventionally shown as trunnion bearings in suitable external supporting brackets l0 with respect to which. the

entire housing is rotatable. Said housing may be rotated in said bearings by any suitable power applying means such as the drive belt conventionally shown at I l, although it will be understood that this feature of the invention is not limited and the power may be applied by gearing; or the housing may comprise the rotor of an induction or other form of electrical motor, etc.

As stated, the main drive housing is designed to contain a suitable quantity of liquid (not shown) for effecting Ythe fluid transmission and the interior ofthe housing is suitably ,sealed to retain said liquid therewithin. .The liquid may be any suitable form of oil or other fluid normally em- Vployed for such purpose.

' end disc l and 2 is provided with a plurality of radial fins or vanes l5 which extend from the axial hubs .5 and 6 respectively to the inner cylin- .dieaiweioi .the housing Trees@ fins which are fixed with relation to the housing may extend for any desired or suitable distance axially of the housing. occupy approximately one-half or `more of the space between the inner face of the end wall or disc I or 2 and the transverse central plane of the housing. In other words, the two sets of fins I5 will preferably occupy about one-half of the axial length of the interior of the housing.

The invention :provides means, .mounted within said housing, and in cooperative relation with said driving or impelling devices, which means are adapted to be driven by transmission oi power through the fluid previously described. As embodied, said driven means comprise preferably a pair of rotors 2Q and 2l. vSaid rotors 'are preferably formed as spiders comprising a plurality of radially disposed ns 22 terminating in annular rims at their perimeters and joined Vto hubs 23. Said hubs are slidably mounted upon a squared vor lsplined portion of a centrally 'disposed driven shaft 24. Suitable stop collars 28 are provided to limit "lateral movement in one direction of the hubs on the Vs-haft. .Shaft 24 'is designed to move axially with respect to the driven housing and for that purpose l.the :hubs 5 vand 5 yo'f said housing are preferably hollow so that the shaft may pass `axially through them and be rotatably supported therein by means of interior bearings 2d. 'Suitable sealing means 35 are provided in .each hub 'for preventing the leakage of fluid from within the housing. The inner ends of the hubs 5 and i5 'of' the housing ends .are lpreferably interi'orly recessed at 3| to rotatablyreceive the washers 2aV on the shaft.

While for many purposes the driven shaft 24 may constitute an integral `single shaft unit `and the rotors 2) and '2l thereon may likewise constitute 'a singlevaned spider, 4Va .du-al construction 'thereof maybe provided 4as hereinafter disclosed because of its greater rfield of applicability.

In operation the housing 'of the above-described mechanism will be rotatably driven -by the belt or other drive imeans from a 'prime mover or` any other central power source, the housing being filled with suitable iiuid as mentioned above. Upon rotation of the housing Vthe fluid therewithin will rotate with it, such rotation of the flu-id being-enhanced zby the 'action of 'the projecting 'fins I5. These forces will cause the central rotor 2BA-2l 'to rotate in the same direction, rthereby applying Athe driving energy of the housing to the sha-'ft 24 in a nexible manner. The centrifugal forces set up by the rotation will cause the fluid vtorbuild'up pressure at the perimeter lof the housing thereby exerting a maximum driving moment on the uns 22 of the rotor without appreciable loss of energy due to fluid turbulence and friction. Such turbulence and friction are kept to a minimum because of the fact that the entire lsystem is rotating as a unit and the` only differential of rotationY is that existing between the driving liquid and the driven rotor, which is ya 'useful power transmission loss.

In accordance vwith one feature of the invention I propose to provide means for automatically varying the energy or power ratio between the driving and the driven elements of my'fluid drive, utilizing the principle that the resistance of the rotor to turning or doing work will cause it V`to seek to increase the axial gap between it and the impeller finsk I5. In accordance with this feature of the invention I provide a rotor of varying width or 'axialdimension which auto- In the preferred form they will.

matically will respondk to effect a variable ratio of power transmission, said ratio being some function of the square of the gap between each impeller I5 and the corresponding edge of the rotor fins 22.

For this purpose I preferably construct the driven rotor in two parts 20, 2l as previously described, said parts being mounted on the same shaft but normally urged apart from each other and thus toward the adjacent impeller fins I5. Such construction is shown in Fig. 1 wherein the driven shaft 24 supports the two segments 2i) and 2l of the rotor. Said segments are articulated for radial rotation together on shaft 24,

being splined or otherwise radially fixed for rotation therewith. However, said segments are adapted 'forindependent or variable axial movement with respect to said shaft and each other 'and vare normally urged apart toward the ends of the housing as by means of a compressed helical spring 35 which lies between the hubs of said rotors, said hubs being `centrally socketed at 3S for `that purpose. The spring normally `urges the rotors apart and toward the ends of the housing .so as to keep the gap between the impeller fins and ytherotor fins Vat a minimum. As the resistance to work performed increases, the rotors will seek to move away from the impeller fins, and 1in doing vso will compress the spring as the rotors move nearer each other. This movement 'thereby increases the ratio of power given to the housing over that delivered kby the shaft and does so automatically, the ratio depending upon the adjustment of the parts as will Vbe obvious. Y

In accordance with the invention, the principles of my uid coupling may also be applied to a differential drive. For this 'purpose Vthe construction will be as shown in Fig. 3, that is embodying two separate driven rotors 2l) and 2|, each mounted on -aseparate driven shaft 25 and 34 respectively. Means are also provided for permitting a small lateral or axial 'displacement of each rotor on vits shaft towardv and away from the other, the'respective rotors being fixed to rotate with their supporting shafts.

`4As shown in Fig. 3, for example, the hub of rotor 2i) is provided with a square socket 40 mounted on square end 2B of shaft 25 vand the 'construction of rotor r2l is similar. The length of the socket :40 and the Vlength of the square `shank 26 permit `a short movement of translation ofthe rotor with respect to the shaft and a similar arrangement exists with respect to rotor 4-2'I and shaft 34. In the 'form shown in Fig. B'the two rotors are articulated for simultaneous axial displacement together but may rotate independently of each other. This arrangement may be effected by journalling the inner end of shaft 25 shown within the Yhollow end of shaft 34 as by needle bearings 4|. With this arrangement an automatic differential action takes place. As yone shaft, `say 25, resists turning while the shaft 34 is mcre'free to turn, the tendency of the resisting rotor is to Vslide awayY from the impeller-'fins and lthereby diminish the gap between the opposite impeller'iins and the rotor adjacent it. This displacement increases the power ratio ofthe driving source to the rotor with the smaller gap between impeller and rotor and at the same time decreases the othery one, thus providing a different power ratio and different speeds of rotation of the two driven zshafts. In the form shown in Fig'. '3 the two rotors can turn independently of `each other andthusonerotor-acts as an impeller with relation to the other. When this relation `ex ists, shielding web 45 is preferably placed on the interior or near side of each rotor perpendicular to the axis of rotation and said web may be varied in radial extent so as to control the amount of impulse transmitted from one rotor to the other as may be desired in the particular application involved.

While the invention has been shown and described as comprising a driving housing having impellers at lits ends and centrally disposed driven rotor or rotors, it will be obvious that the opposite arrangement may also be employedthat is, the housing may be constructed as divided into three segments, the central one containing the impeller fins and thereby operating two rotors which may have more or less axial movement with respect to the ends of the housing.

This form is shown in Fig. 4 and as embodied comprises a central driving member 50 having a solid disc web portion 5l connecting the outer cylindrical part with a hub 52 and a plurality of impeller vanes 53 and 54 projecting from said web 5I in opposite directions and extending radially from the hub 52 to the inner wall of the cylindrical part. To each side of driving member 5i is secured end housings 55 and 56 which form the cavity within which the vaned rotors 20, 2| rotate. Y As shown in Fig. 4 rotor shafts 25, 34 are journalled at their inner ends on needle bearings 51, 58 carried in a hollow portion of hub 52. The outer ends are journalled as previously described in connection with the other forms shown.

It is obvious from an inspection of the drawings that if a single fluid drive rather than a differential drive is desired in the form generally shown in Fig. 4 the shafts 25, 34 may be replaced by a single shaft, similar to shaft 24, but having spaced apart squared or splined portions and enlarged centrally to permit it to be journalled in hub 52.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I claim is: e

1. A fluid drive coupling including in combination, a rotatable iiuid container having fluid impelling driving members rotatable therewith, a plurality of rotatable'driven members within the housing, each of said driven members mounted on independent shafts axially aligned with the housing and loosely coupled to one another, and means for varying the relative spacing between said driving and driven members to vary the power ratio with respect to said members and for varying the speed of any rotatable driven member with respect to the speed of the other driven members.

`2. A uid drive coupling including in combination, a rotatable fluid container having fluidimpelling driving members rotatable therewith, rst rotatable driven members within the housing and mounted on a first shaft axially aligned with saidy housing, further rotatable driven members within the housing and mounted on a second shaft axially aligned with respect to said first shaft, said shafts being loosely coupled to one another, and means for varying the relative spacing between said, driving anddriven members to vary the power ratio with respect to Asaid members and for varying the speed of any rotatable driven member with respect to the speed of the other'driven members.

3. A fluid drive coupling including in combination a Vrotatable fluid container having fluidimpelling driving members rotatable therewith, first rotatable driven members within the housing and mounted on a first shaft axially aligned with said housing, further rotatable driven meml bers within the housing and mounted on a second shaft axially aligned with' respect to said rst shaft, means for loosely coupling said shafts so as to allow the speed of said driven members to differ from each other, means fornormally urging said members into close fluid driving relation with the driving members, and means permitting limited independent variations in said relation with respect to said driving and driven members. 4. A fluid drive coupling including in combination a rotatable fluid container having a centrally located fluid-impelling driving mem ber, first rotatable driven members within the housing and at one end of the housing, further rotatable driven members within the housing and at the opposite end of the housing from said first driven members, and means for varying the relative spacing between said driving and driven members to vary the power ratio with respect to said driven members.

GEORGE E'. LEVINGS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

